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SHELTON-
MASON COUNTY
JqC)URNAL
Thursday, July 5, 2007 121st Year -- Number 27 5 Sections -- 42 Pages Published in Shelton, Washington 75 cents " ++,
Senate Settles on Ben for judge
By JEFF GREEN
After months of waiting, Shel-
ton lawyer Ben Settle's confirma-
tion as a federal judge was ap-
proved unanimously last Thurs-
day afternoon by the U.S. Senate.
The vote was 99-0 in favor of
Settle's confirmation, with one
senator, Tim Johnson, D-South
Dakota, not voting.
Last November, Settle was
nominated by President George
W. Bush for a U.S. District Court
judgeship in Tacoma. In March,
the longtime Shelton lawyer was
in Washington, D.C., for a hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee
on the Judiciary, part of the pro-
cess judicial nominees must go
through.
Settle and two other federal ju-
dicial nominees were questioned
by Senator Richard Durbin, D-Il-
linois, during a hearing that last-
ed 45 minutes. Since that hear-
ing, the other two nominees were
confirmed, but there was no word
on Settle's confirmation until last
Thursday's Senate vote.
PRESIDENT BUSH on Mon-
day signed Settle's commission
and Settle will take the oath of
office next Monday, July 9, in Ta-
coma. The position is a lifetime
appointment.
Settle has been a lawyer in
Shelton for the past 29 years, spe-
cializing in municipal and corpo-
rate law, but also handling estates
and wills for private clients.
He and his partner Rob John-
son represent Mason General
Hospital, Shelton School Board,
PUDs 1 and 3 and Mason Transit
Authority. Until a few years ago,
Settle was also the city attorney
for Shelton, advising the Shelton
City Commission and city offi-
cials.
Settle was born in 1947 in
Olympia and graduated from
Olympia High School in 1965. He
then graduated from Claremont-
McKenna College in Southern Cal-
ifornia, with a bachelor's degree
in American literature. He got his
law degree from Willamette Uni-
versity in Salem, Oregon.
SETTLE WAS in the Reserve
Officer Training Corps in college
and served in the Army near the
end of the Vietnam War era. He
was in the Judge Advocate Gen-
eral Corps and worked cases as a
prosecutor and criminal defense
attorney.
He came to Shelton in 1977
to become a partner with Frank
Heuston, who has since retired.
Settle and his wife, Lynn, have
five grown children and two
grandchildren.
Drags redux
STARTING-LINE ANTICS notwithstand-
ing (inset), there'll be nothing the least
bit last-ditch or impromptu this week-
end when the Shelton Drag Strip Asso-
ciation reprises last summer's 40th-year
renewal of the motor sport for which
this milltown once was nationally fa-
mous. First of successive weekends of
SDSA action at Sanderson Field, the ex-
travaganza starts with the public's open
"Five-Buck Friday" - when your mom-
ma can put her station wagon through
the quartermile just like the top fuelers
if she wants to - and then gives way to
Sixties' "nostalgia" dragsters Saturday
and Sunday along with the usual car-
show and various vendor attractions
that helped bring close to ten thousand
folks through the gates for last sum-
mer's inaugural. Checking out the com-
puters in the SDSA's brand-new track-
side tower, above, are president Dave
Gunter and founding member Peggy
Zamzow. Clowning below them on the
starting grid? Why, executive director
Rahn Redman, of course.
Man accused of firing shot
at deputies in long standoff
A 34-year-old Shelton ma was
arrested Monday night air re-
portedly firing at least one shot in
the direction of sheriffs deputies.
Following a tense, five-hour
Standoff in the Kamilche area,
Jess Daniel Brown field was
booked into Mason County Jail
for investigation of attempted
murder, unlawful possession of
a firearm and outstanding war-
rants. Bail was set at $500,000
and arraignment scheduled for
July 16.
The sheriffs office reported
that at about 11:30 p.m. deputies
Were notified by family members
that Brownfield was threatening
to shoot and kill them. Deputies
responded to the Kamilche area
residence and reported at least
three shots were fired by Brown-
field from inside the home. One
shot Was fired where deputies had
been Standing when they ordered
him out of the residence.
The sheriffs office Special
Emergency Response Team re-
sponded to the scene as Brown-
field barricaded himself in the
residence, a press release from
the sheriffs office noted. He re-
mained behind the barricade de-
spite several attempts by deputies
to establish contact with him.
Deputies fired tear gas rounds
into the residence and caused
the suspect to come out. At first,
deputies thought he was trying to
surrender until he went back into
the residence and armed himself
with a shotgun.
When he reemerged from the
house with a gun in hand, depu-
ties took him into custody by us-
ing a taser. A total of 16 lawmen,
including sheriffs deputies and
Squaxin Island tribal police of-
ricers were involved. No one was
injured during the incident.
Brownfield appeared Tuesday
in Mason County Superior Court.
He was identified in an investiga-
tion of attempted murder in the
first degree, assault in the first
degree, unlawful possession of
a firearm in the first degree and
felony harassment. The harass-
ment is charged as domestic vio-
lence against Brownfield's family
members.
Judge Toni Sheldon said he
qualifies for court-appointed coun-
sel. In setting the bail amount she
noted concerns about safety to the
community, outstanding warrants
and a prior conviction for third-
degree assault. Sheldon ordered
Brownfield to have no contact
with his mother Sally Brownfield,
his brother Toby Brownfield, po-
tential witnesses Marc Junes and
Torrie Dunn or the residence at
4469 SE Bloomfield Road.
Vandalism suspects charged
tiy lVlARy DUNCAN Cole Walker Babbitt, 18, of in May and the commons area at
L An 18-year-old Eagle Scout has
?:en charged with rive felony of-
.ases in three separate vandal-
Ixs.!ncidents on property of the
• ,orth Mason School District and
18-year.old codefendant in one
i ° the incidents obtained special
ernission to travel east of the
"aOUntains to attend Washington
State University.
5741 East Grapeview Loop Road,
Allyn, entered not-guilty pleas on
Friday, June 29, in Mason Coun-
ty Superior Court to the follow-
ing charges: arson in the second
degree for allegedly burning the
shape of a penis into the athlet-
ic field on June 1; two counts of
malicious mischief in the first de-
gree for damage to school buses
the high school on June 14; and
two counts of burglary in the sec-
ond degree for breaking into the
facilities.
Babbitt, who graduated from
North Mason High School in
June, is scheduled for an omni-
bus hearing on July 30, a pretrial
hearing on August 27 and trial
(Please turn to page 11.)
City acts to raze
derelict building
By JEFF GREEN
The Parkview Manor apart-
ment building, a local eyesore in
downtown Shelton since it was
gutted by fire, appears headed for
the trash bin of local history.
Shelton city commissioners
Monday night approved a staff
request to direct the city attorney
to send a notice to the building's
owner to remove the building. If
necessary, the attorney can file a
complaint in superior court seek-
ing elimination of it as a "public
nuisance."
In May of 1999 after tenants
complained about illegal wiring,
the city's code enforcement of-
ricer moved to condemn it. Later
that month, city and state officials
closed down the building after de-
ciding it wasn't safe.
The fire in September 2000 de-
stroyed its roof and interior. Since
then, the building has languished,
with boards covering most lower
floor windows and blue tarps on
the second floor flapping in the
wind.
"THE TARPS covering the ex-
posed roof degraded over time and
were never replaced. This has re-
sulted in long-term elemental ex-
posure and further degradation of
the structure," noted a letter to the
owner from the city's code enforce-
ment officer dated last September
12.
The upper level of the building
(Please turn to page 9.)
Hoodsport fest
offers fireworks
By DONA C. MARTINSEN
Hoodsport residents are busy
getting ready for Celebrate Hoods-
port with a street fair, wine tast-
ing, music, dancing, a raffle and
a fireworks display at 10 p.m. on
Saturday.
On July 6, 7 and 8 the Hoods-
port Community Events Associa-
tion will be bringing the festival to
Hoodsport for the 22nd year. Co-
ordinator Frank Benavente said
the event benefits local merchants
and residents. The budget for 2007
is over $17,000 with funds coming
from booth rentals, T-shirts, a raf-
fle, donations, an auction and lodg-
ing tax from Mason County.
Besides funds being spent on
the fireworks, there is insurance,
transportation, traffic police, ad-
vertising, trash and seven portable
toilets.
The Hoodsport Community
Events Association is a nonprofit
organization which brings us the
Hood Canal Chum Derby, Hoods-
port Christmas Lighting, and the
Hood Canal Oyster Bite & Tour of
Lodging.
This weekend will see chefs of
the Hoodsport Kiwanis putting on
a pancake breakfast on Saturday,
July 7, from 7 to 11 a.m. The pan-
cakes are being served in the West
Coast Bank parking lot.
Mason Transit will run a shut-
tle bus from 2 to 11 p.m. on Satur-
day, with stops at Kneeland Plaza
in Shelton, Twin Totems on the
Skokomish Reservation, Minerva
Beach Resort, Glen Aire Resort,
The Tides Restaurant and the
Lake Cushman Maintenance Com-
pany.
Saturday's schedule of events in-
cludes a book sale at the Hoodsport
Library, music by the Lost Arrow
Band throughout the day and a
street dance starting at 5 p.m.
Parties to celebrate
shellfish agreement
By SEAN HANLON
Depending on when you start
counting, tomorrow's gathering to
celebrate the settlement of shell-
fish rights has been years or de-
cades or a century in the making.
The list of prospective visitors
to Little Skookum Shellfish in
Shelton includes Governor Chris-
tine Gregoire, Billy Franks Jr. of
the Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission and Congressman
Norm Dicks. Jim Peters of the
Squaxin Island Tribe is planning
to attend, as are Bill Taylor of
Taylor Shellfish in Shelton and
Doug Sutherland, the state lands
commissioner.
They are assembling to witness
the sealing of a deal setting up a
$33-million trust fund that will be
dedicated to enhancing shellfish
on tidelands controlled by Indian
tribes in this part of the state. The
pact resolves a 1994 court ruling
by Judge Edward Rafeedie who
upheld in U.S. District Court the
treaty rights of the Skokomish,
the Squaxin Island and 15 other
tribes to half of the harvestable
shellfish in this part of the state.
Parties to the agreement say it
preserves the health of the shell-
fish industry, recognizes the im-
portance to the tribes of the shell-
fish harvest rights and provides
greater shellfish harvest opportu-
(Please turn to page 11.)
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUl
On the inside
Births .................................. 18
Classifieds ........................... 30
Community Calendar ....... 14
Crossword ........................... 37
Entertainment, Dining ..... 28
Health Journal ................. 18
Journal of Record ............. 25
Obituaries ........................... 10
Opinions, Letters ................. 4
Sports ................................... 21
Tides ..................................... 27
Weather ................................ 10
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIUlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUlUlIIIIIlUlIIIIIIlU
o1111!1!!1!!111!1!!!1!1!11111+
SHELTON-
MASON COUNTY
JqC)URNAL
Thursday, July 5, 2007 121st Year -- Number 27 5 Sections -- 42 Pages Published in Shelton, Washington 75 cents " ++,
Senate Settles on Ben for judge
By JEFF GREEN
After months of waiting, Shel-
ton lawyer Ben Settle's confirma-
tion as a federal judge was ap-
proved unanimously last Thurs-
day afternoon by the U.S. Senate.
The vote was 99-0 in favor of
Settle's confirmation, with one
senator, Tim Johnson, D-South
Dakota, not voting.
Last November, Settle was
nominated by President George
W. Bush for a U.S. District Court
judgeship in Tacoma. In March,
the longtime Shelton lawyer was
in Washington, D.C., for a hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee
on the Judiciary, part of the pro-
cess judicial nominees must go
through.
Settle and two other federal ju-
dicial nominees were questioned
by Senator Richard Durbin, D-Il-
linois, during a hearing that last-
ed 45 minutes. Since that hear-
ing, the other two nominees were
confirmed, but there was no word
on Settle's confirmation until last
Thursday's Senate vote.
PRESIDENT BUSH on Mon-
day signed Settle's commission
and Settle will take the oath of
office next Monday, July 9, in Ta-
coma. The position is a lifetime
appointment.
Settle has been a lawyer in
Shelton for the past 29 years, spe-
cializing in municipal and corpo-
rate law, but also handling estates
and wills for private clients.
He and his partner Rob John-
son represent Mason General
Hospital, Shelton School Board,
PUDs 1 and 3 and Mason Transit
Authority. Until a few years ago,
Settle was also the city attorney
for Shelton, advising the Shelton
City Commission and city offi-
cials.
Settle was born in 1947 in
Olympia and graduated from
Olympia High School in 1965. He
then graduated from Claremont-
McKenna College in Southern Cal-
ifornia, with a bachelor's degree
in American literature. He got his
law degree from Willamette Uni-
versity in Salem, Oregon.
SETTLE WAS in the Reserve
Officer Training Corps in college
and served in the Army near the
end of the Vietnam War era. He
was in the Judge Advocate Gen-
eral Corps and worked cases as a
prosecutor and criminal defense
attorney.
He came to Shelton in 1977
to become a partner with Frank
Heuston, who has since retired.
Settle and his wife, Lynn, have
five grown children and two
grandchildren.
Drags redux
STARTING-LINE ANTICS notwithstand-
ing (inset), there'll be nothing the least
bit last-ditch or impromptu this week-
end when the Shelton Drag Strip Asso-
ciation reprises last summer's 40th-year
renewal of the motor sport for which
this milltown once was nationally fa-
mous. First of successive weekends of
SDSA action at Sanderson Field, the ex-
travaganza starts with the public's open
"Five-Buck Friday" - when your mom-
ma can put her station wagon through
the quartermile just like the top fuelers
if she wants to - and then gives way to
Sixties' "nostalgia" dragsters Saturday
and Sunday along with the usual car-
show and various vendor attractions
that helped bring close to ten thousand
folks through the gates for last sum-
mer's inaugural. Checking out the com-
puters in the SDSA's brand-new track-
side tower, above, are president Dave
Gunter and founding member Peggy
Zamzow. Clowning below them on the
starting grid? Why, executive director
Rahn Redman, of course.
Man accused of firing shot
at deputies in long standoff
A 34-year-old Shelton ma was
arrested Monday night air re-
portedly firing at least one shot in
the direction of sheriffs deputies.
Following a tense, five-hour
Standoff in the Kamilche area,
Jess Daniel Brown field was
booked into Mason County Jail
for investigation of attempted
murder, unlawful possession of
a firearm and outstanding war-
rants. Bail was set at $500,000
and arraignment scheduled for
July 16.
The sheriffs office reported
that at about 11:30 p.m. deputies
Were notified by family members
that Brownfield was threatening
to shoot and kill them. Deputies
responded to the Kamilche area
residence and reported at least
three shots were fired by Brown-
field from inside the home. One
shot Was fired where deputies had
been Standing when they ordered
him out of the residence.
The sheriffs office Special
Emergency Response Team re-
sponded to the scene as Brown-
field barricaded himself in the
residence, a press release from
the sheriffs office noted. He re-
mained behind the barricade de-
spite several attempts by deputies
to establish contact with him.
Deputies fired tear gas rounds
into the residence and caused
the suspect to come out. At first,
deputies thought he was trying to
surrender until he went back into
the residence and armed himself
with a shotgun.
When he reemerged from the
house with a gun in hand, depu-
ties took him into custody by us-
ing a taser. A total of 16 lawmen,
including sheriffs deputies and
Squaxin Island tribal police of-
ricers were involved. No one was
injured during the incident.
Brownfield appeared Tuesday
in Mason County Superior Court.
He was identified in an investiga-
tion of attempted murder in the
first degree, assault in the first
degree, unlawful possession of
a firearm in the first degree and
felony harassment. The harass-
ment is charged as domestic vio-
lence against Brownfield's family
members.
Judge Toni Sheldon said he
qualifies for court-appointed coun-
sel. In setting the bail amount she
noted concerns about safety to the
community, outstanding warrants
and a prior conviction for third-
degree assault. Sheldon ordered
Brownfield to have no contact
with his mother Sally Brownfield,
his brother Toby Brownfield, po-
tential witnesses Marc Junes and
Torrie Dunn or the residence at
4469 SE Bloomfield Road.
Vandalism suspects charged
tiy lVlARy DUNCAN Cole Walker Babbitt, 18, of in May and the commons area at
L An 18-year-old Eagle Scout has
?:en charged with rive felony of-
.ases in three separate vandal-
Ixs.!ncidents on property of the
• ,orth Mason School District and
18-year.old codefendant in one
i ° the incidents obtained special
ernission to travel east of the
"aOUntains to attend Washington
State University.
5741 East Grapeview Loop Road,
Allyn, entered not-guilty pleas on
Friday, June 29, in Mason Coun-
ty Superior Court to the follow-
ing charges: arson in the second
degree for allegedly burning the
shape of a penis into the athlet-
ic field on June 1; two counts of
malicious mischief in the first de-
gree for damage to school buses
the high school on June 14; and
two counts of burglary in the sec-
ond degree for breaking into the
facilities.
Babbitt, who graduated from
North Mason High School in
June, is scheduled for an omni-
bus hearing on July 30, a pretrial
hearing on August 27 and trial
(Please turn to page 11.)
City acts to raze
derelict building
By JEFF GREEN
The Parkview Manor apart-
ment building, a local eyesore in
downtown Shelton since it was
gutted by fire, appears headed for
the trash bin of local history.
Shelton city commissioners
Monday night approved a staff
request to direct the city attorney
to send a notice to the building's
owner to remove the building. If
necessary, the attorney can file a
complaint in superior court seek-
ing elimination of it as a "public
nuisance."
In May of 1999 after tenants
complained about illegal wiring,
the city's code enforcement of-
ricer moved to condemn it. Later
that month, city and state officials
closed down the building after de-
ciding it wasn't safe.
The fire in September 2000 de-
stroyed its roof and interior. Since
then, the building has languished,
with boards covering most lower
floor windows and blue tarps on
the second floor flapping in the
wind.
"THE TARPS covering the ex-
posed roof degraded over time and
were never replaced. This has re-
sulted in long-term elemental ex-
posure and further degradation of
the structure," noted a letter to the
owner from the city's code enforce-
ment officer dated last September
12.
The upper level of the building
(Please turn to page 9.)
Hoodsport fest
offers fireworks
By DONA C. MARTINSEN
Hoodsport residents are busy
getting ready for Celebrate Hoods-
port with a street fair, wine tast-
ing, music, dancing, a raffle and
a fireworks display at 10 p.m. on
Saturday.
On July 6, 7 and 8 the Hoods-
port Community Events Associa-
tion will be bringing the festival to
Hoodsport for the 22nd year. Co-
ordinator Frank Benavente said
the event benefits local merchants
and residents. The budget for 2007
is over $17,000 with funds coming
from booth rentals, T-shirts, a raf-
fle, donations, an auction and lodg-
ing tax from Mason County.
Besides funds being spent on
the fireworks, there is insurance,
transportation, traffic police, ad-
vertising, trash and seven portable
toilets.
The Hoodsport Community
Events Association is a nonprofit
organization which brings us the
Hood Canal Chum Derby, Hoods-
port Christmas Lighting, and the
Hood Canal Oyster Bite & Tour of
Lodging.
This weekend will see chefs of
the Hoodsport Kiwanis putting on
a pancake breakfast on Saturday,
July 7, from 7 to 11 a.m. The pan-
cakes are being served in the West
Coast Bank parking lot.
Mason Transit will run a shut-
tle bus from 2 to 11 p.m. on Satur-
day, with stops at Kneeland Plaza
in Shelton, Twin Totems on the
Skokomish Reservation, Minerva
Beach Resort, Glen Aire Resort,
The Tides Restaurant and the
Lake Cushman Maintenance Com-
pany.
Saturday's schedule of events in-
cludes a book sale at the Hoodsport
Library, music by the Lost Arrow
Band throughout the day and a
street dance starting at 5 p.m.
Parties to celebrate
shellfish agreement
By SEAN HANLON
Depending on when you start
counting, tomorrow's gathering to
celebrate the settlement of shell-
fish rights has been years or de-
cades or a century in the making.
The list of prospective visitors
to Little Skookum Shellfish in
Shelton includes Governor Chris-
tine Gregoire, Billy Franks Jr. of
the Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission and Congressman
Norm Dicks. Jim Peters of the
Squaxin Island Tribe is planning
to attend, as are Bill Taylor of
Taylor Shellfish in Shelton and
Doug Sutherland, the state lands
commissioner.
They are assembling to witness
the sealing of a deal setting up a
$33-million trust fund that will be
dedicated to enhancing shellfish
on tidelands controlled by Indian
tribes in this part of the state. The
pact resolves a 1994 court ruling
by Judge Edward Rafeedie who
upheld in U.S. District Court the
treaty rights of the Skokomish,
the Squaxin Island and 15 other
tribes to half of the harvestable
shellfish in this part of the state.
Parties to the agreement say it
preserves the health of the shell-
fish industry, recognizes the im-
portance to the tribes of the shell-
fish harvest rights and provides
greater shellfish harvest opportu-
(Please turn to page 11.)
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUl
On the inside
Births .................................. 18
Classifieds ........................... 30
Community Calendar ....... 14
Crossword ........................... 37
Entertainment, Dining ..... 28
Health Journal ................. 18
Journal of Record ............. 25
Obituaries ........................... 10
Opinions, Letters ................. 4
Sports ................................... 21
Tides ..................................... 27
Weather ................................ 10
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIUlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUlUlIIIIIlUlIIIIIIlU
o1111!1!!1!!111!1!!!1!1!11111+